After first conference win, Falls volleyball loses at Stow

Stow-Munroe Falls volleyball has made a habit of winning marathon matches this season.

Cuyahoga Falls has shown the ability to play well, even in losing efforts.

Unfortunately for Falls, both trends were snapped Sept. 13 at the James G. Tyree Gymnasium, as Stow made quick work of its backyard rival, winning 25-15, 25-12, 25-17.

Prior to the Stow loss, Falls picked up its first win in the Suburban League National Conference, beating Nordonia 25-20, 25-17, 17-25, 25-20 at home.

Falls then played a rare Saturday league game Sept. 10 at home against Brecksville-Broadview Heights. The state-ranked Bees won 25-13, 25-14, 25-18.

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Falls' record stood at 5-6, 1-4 in the National Conference as of press time.

Falls coach Josh Stewart said the match with Nordonia was a scrappy affair.

It wasn't the prettiest of matches and Nordonia definitely didn't play their best, but a Suburban league win is always a good win," Stewart said. "We're starting to gel in certain ways that lead me to believe the girls are listening to me and each other.

"Consistency is still our biggest hurdle right now, but we're not giving away points nearly as much as two weeks ago. We're also getting a hand, defensively, on a lot of our opponent's swings, which tells me we're reading the offense better."

Senior hitter Emma Freeman and junior hitter Jacquelyn Shields each had nine kills in the win, while Freeman added five aces.

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Stewart said his team played decent against a loaded Bees team, noting Brecksville was "just a friggin' freight train."

Freeman had 10 kills in the loss, while setter Rebecca Postlewaite had 13 kills and two aces.

Stewart said the Stow game represented a step back for his young team.

"It was a case of two steps forward, one step back for us," Stewart said. "We've got a lot of new girls who don't know what it's like to play at this level, especially against Stow. I'm expecting better from them."

Stow coach Miguel Ramirez lauded his team for staying focused during a heavy schedule. Stow was playing its fifth match in a four-day span.